Clamp lock for separable socket assemblies



y 22, 1952 w. H. NORTON ET AL CLAMP LOCK FOR SEPARABLE SOCKET ASSEMBLIES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed May 13, 1949 f 17 1 E 17 f0 P5 74Zbzzz fill 01 5022 HEW/7247272 6152961 y 22, 1952 w. H. NORTON ET AL 2,604,506

CLAMP LOCK FOR SEPARABLE SOCKET ASSEMBLIES Filed May 15, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 H m am flw a! l 241 722 15 Patented July 22, 1952 'ICLAM Z O FOR SEPARABLE soo'KE'r I ASSEMBLIES Y: wilburfliNorton'and Hermann Geiger,

Bronson,

H --Mich., assignors to Kingston Products Corpo- 1 ration, Kokomo, Ind.

, a corporation of Indiana I Application ll/Iay 13, 1949, Serial No. 93,103

This inventionrelate generally to aseparable socket assembly of th peused for housing an lame-l j 'n lq'y' t ,e warning-li ht on vehicles such as, automobiles a'ndthelik.

-Qne-ofthe measures of the degree'of utility achieved by'a durable socket assembly is the ease with'which the plug elem nt'jmay be assembled and removed from the socketreceptacle. The

type of assemblies heretofore provided have, therefore, represented a compromise between the necessity of provi ng complicated locking elementswhich are long lasting and durable and the less durabletype'oi element which maybe advantageously emplgyedin' a separable socket assembly to eflect quick 'remcva'l of a plug element for re-lampin'g and' othfi 'f urposes.

An object of this invention. is to, provide a novel" and; improved socket, assembly which is made ofa' minimum number of simple elements arranged in such a manner as to effectuate a separable socketassemblyof a rugged and longlasting character but in'fwhic'h theplug element may be easilyass'enibled. in' firrn locked together relationship and quickly removed, for servicing when sojdeslirei Anotheri object of thejpresentj inventionj is to provide a 7 highly simplified plugjlelementfor ""a separable "socket assembly havingja unique. lock-'- ing"' .plate'"capable of obtaining aj progressive leverage resilient purchase upon theslotted'cir' cul'ar' lipfof afreceptaclegand' which may be securely locked thereto vg'rhe'n selectively, positioned.

A further'object of this invention is .to provide.

a"s'ocket assembly which is made ,or simplified metal stampings and which may be, produced economically to rorma. durable andf .efilc'ient structure.

Many other advantages and objects of'the presentinvention' will'become' manifest" to those versed'inthe art upon making reference to the detailed description which io llows andthe acp n i d aw n aiini h': A v

Figure-1 is a frontelevational yiew of a socket assembly incorporatin the principles of our intio s-M v v; a

Figure 2 'isa cross sectional view; greatlyenlarged 11 and partly broken away taken on line j II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a magnified fragn entary cross sectional view- 'o'f-a' po'rtion o" f a locking plateused in the present T invention taken on: line III-III ofFigurel;

Figure 4 is a side elevationalview'oi a male plug element. embodying;thetfprinciples 1'; our

r 8 Claims. (01. 173-339) Figure 5 is. a side elevational View of the plug element shown in Figure! but rotated through to show additional detailsof construction;

Figure 6 is a cross sectionalfview taken on line VIVI of Figure 5; v v

Figure 7 is an end elevational view of a modified plug element incorporating the principles of our invention; and I Figure 8 is a cross sectional .view taken .on line VIII-VIII of Figure 7. t

As shown on the drawings:

Referring first to Figures .1 and 2 a socket assembly is indicated generally bythe reference. numeral l0 and is shown as including a receptacle II and a plug element indicated generally by the reference numeral I 2." a f The receptacle ll, in this particular embodiment, may constitute the back wall of 'a taillight fixture on an automobile or a directional turn indicator light of an automobile, or perhaps a combination of both, 7 The receptacle ll may be provided with ,mounting studs l3 and may be further provided'with suitably threaded apertures as at M to receive machine screws holding a chromium plated lens holder (not shown) in firm assembly with the receptacle H. In this particular embodiment, the receptacle II is extruded at Ila so asto .define a housing for a plug element [2. The housing portion I la is preferably terminated by a vcircular lip Hb whichmay be suitably slotted or notched as at lie on diametrically :opposed pointsoijthe circular lip ll b (Fi uresil'andfii.

"Referring now to Figures 2 through 6, the plug element I2 is shown as including aplug body l6 and a locking plate I'I. t V

The body [6 may be formed froma blank of steel which maybe zinc or cadmiumplate'd' and as shown on the drawings includes three tabs or lugs [6a which' are suitably located and bent The body [6 also defines a pair of spaced l-i notches lie and may be knurled as at Hid to facilitate manipulation thereof.

The lock ingplate I! is essentially'an annulus v ora' ring-like'element made of metal and shaped to definela hub portion ila' of the same inner diameter as the outer diameter of thefc ylindri cal body 'l6,'a radial flange ;l|b= having a pair of radially. spaced tongues -llc' eigtending" therefrom and a pair at spaced up portions '1 1d which 1615 (Figures 2 and 6) the purpose of providing-a structure which affords additionahprotection against dust ;and the elements and in nowise affects the operation of the socket assembly as. previously, described.

It will be evident to those versed in the art that we have described anextremely simple socket assembly madeof a relativelyfewplements which are strong, durable,--eas"y{ to manufacture, andiwhichproduce novel and improved funttions when arranged in the manner described;

Although we have resorted to detail in the description of our invention for the sake of clarity, it will be readily understood that we do not propose to be limited thereby inasmuch as we have chosen to describe the specific embodiments herein provided by way of example only.

We claim as our invention:

1. A socket assembly comprising a receptacle having a notched mounting hole, a body, and a locking plate carried by said body, said looking plate formed from an integral piece of metal having a hub portion surrounding said body, a flanged planar area extending radially around said hub and terminating in a sharply turned axial shoulder, spaced tongues disposed on substantially a coplanar level with said flanged planar area and being angularly inclined relative thereto and bowed arcuate lips of substantial circumferential extent offset from said planar area and having pawl means in the medial portion thereof, said locking plate operative to resiliently purchase the edges of said mounting hole between said tongues and said arcuate lips and to lock thereto upon seating of said pawls in the notches of said mounting hole.

2. A plug element for a separable socket assembly of the type including a receptacle having a notched circular lip, said plug element having a plurality of spaced peripheral flange portions each of substantial circumferential extent bowed along a curvilinear path and tongues axially spaced therefrom and lying in a common plane, the configuration of said flange portions forming a surface curvature wherein the included dimension measured normal to said common plane between said common plane and separated points on the periphery of the flange portion varies, whereby a progressive clamping action may be obtained when said lip is passed between said bowed flange tongues.

3. A plug element for a separable socket assembly of the type having a receptacle having a notched circular lip, including radially disposed acutely inclined tongues receivable in the notches of said lip and spaced apart bowed peripheral flange portions axially offset from said tongues and curved to decrease the efiective offset dimension from the plane of said tongues, said tongues and said bowed flange portions forming convergent throats for a progressive clamping purchase on the lip of said receptacle upon relative angular displacement of said plug element.

4. A plug element for a separable socket assembly oi the type including a receptable having portions and said a notched circular lip, said plug element having a plurality of spaced peripheral flange portions bowed along a curvilinear path and tongues axially spaced therefrom and lying in a common plane, the configuration of said flange portion forming a surface of curvature wherein the included dimension measured normal to said common plane between said common plane and separated points on the periphery of said flange portion vari'es,--wl ierebyi aaprogressive' clamping ac tion. may be obtained "whensaidf-lip'ispassed between said'= 'bow'ed flange portionsand said tongues, said bowed flangeportions" including spaced pawls seatable" in' i said '-:notches 'upon- "a predetermined angular displacement of said 'plu element relative-to said receptacle.

5. A plug element for a separable socket assembly.- ofthetype hav'ing a receptacle defining a notched circulariilip;.iincluding radially disposed acutely inclined tongues receivable in the notches of said lip and spaced bowed flange portions offset from said tongues and curved to decrease the effective offset dimension from the plane of said tongues, said tongues and said bowed flange portions together forming convergent throats for a progressive clamping purchase on the lip of said receptacle upon relative angular displacement of said plug element, said bowed flange portions including spaced pawls seatable in said'notches upon a predetermined angular displacement of said plug'element relative to said receptacle.

6. A locking plate for use with a separable plug element of a socket assembly, consisting of, an annulus made of metal and shaped to provide a radial flange having a pair of radially spaced tongues and a pair of spaced flange-like lip portions of substantial circumferential extent, said lip portions and said tongues being axially oifset from one another, whereby said tongues may be inserted through the slots of a notched circular lip on a receptacle and said locking plate may be angularly displaced to obtain a clamping purchase with said lip, said radial flange having perforate slots formed radially inward of said lip portions and said lip portions being bowed towards said tongues and together therewith forming convergent throats, whereby said purchase will become progressively tighter upon displacement of said locking plate.

7. A separable plug element for a socket assembly comprising an annular ring having a pair of radially spaced tongues and a pair of spaced lip portions of substantial circumferential extent axially offset from said tongues, whereby said tongues may be inserted through the slots of a notched circular lip on a receptacle and said ring may be angularly displaced to obtain a clamping purchase with said lip, said annular ring having perforations formed radially inwardly directly adjacent said lip portions and said lip portions being bowed towards said tongues on a curvilinear path of predetermined curvature, and a pair of spaced pawls crimped on diametrically opposed portions of said lip portions seatable in said slots of said notched circular lip, the configuration of said lip portion forming a surface of curvature wherein the included dimension measured normal to the plane of said annular ring between said plane and separated points on the periphery of said 7 lip portion progressively varies.

8. A locking plate for use with a separable plug element of a socket assembly comprising an annulus made of metal and shaped to provide a radial flange having a pair of radially spaced tongues and a pair of spaced axially offset lip portions of substantial circumferential extent, whereby said tongues may be inserted through the slots of a notched circular lip upon a receptacle and said locking plate may be angularly displaced to obtain a clamping purchase with said lip, said tongues being bent to define an acutely inclined angle relative to said flange, 

